Patient confidentiality

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible care.

This information may be used for management and audit purposes. However, it is usually only available to, and used by, those involved in your care. You have the right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records please contact the Practice Manager.

Confidentiality of Patient Data

All patient information is considered to be confidential and we comply fully with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Caldicott principles. All employees in the practice have access to this information in relation to their role, have confidentiality clauses in their contracts of employment and have signed a confidentiality agreement. All staff members adhere to the Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice 2003.

Where appropriate, patient information may be shared with other parties within the care team. However, they must be involved in the direct care of patients, based on implied consent. This will be on a “need to know” basis only and in order to ensure the safe, effective care of patients. Where a patient wishes information not to be shared within the team providing direct care, then they must discuss this with their GP.

Patient information will not be shared outside of the direct care team without consent being sought. An individual has the right to refuse to have their information disclosed, although this may have an impact on their care, and their wishes will be complied with.

It is imperative that when it is right to release details to 3rd parties that the information only includes what has been asked for and not necessarily the full record.

There are currently two national data extractions from which patients may wish to “opt out”:

1. Summary Care Record

The SCR enables healthcare staff providing care for patients in an emergency and from anywhere in England to be made aware of any current medications or allergies the patient may suffer from. This information from every patient record is sent electronically up to the Spine in order for this to happen. If patients wish their information to be withheld from the SCR, they can “opt out”. Please ask at reception for the SCR Opt Out Form or download one at:

systems.hscic.gov.uk/scr/library/optout.pdf

2. Care.data programme

In order to improve health services, NHS England has commissioned a modern data service from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) known as the “care.data programme” The aim of the service is to create a complete picture of care provided to patients by social care, GP practices and hospitals, and it will make use of patient information extracted from GP medical records.

Once this information has been linked to the data taken from hospitals, a new record will be created. This new record will not contain information that identifies you. The type of information that is then shared, and how it is shared, is controlled by law and strict confidentiality rules.

If you wish to “opt out” and prevent an extraction of information from your record being taken please ask for further information at reception.

At present, the proposed national roll-out of the care data program has been postponed and, rather than an immediate national roll-out, the HSCIC will be working with a number of “Pathfinder GP practices” that will test, evaluate and refine all aspects of the data collection process before it is applied nationally.

CCTV

CCTV is installed internally in public areas and externally for security. Recordings are used entirely at the discretion of the partners, including provision of images to the police or other official bodies, and will otherwise comply with the Practice’s Data Protection registration and the principles of patient confidentiality. Image data is held securely within the practice. The practice adheres to “Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, The Home Office, June 2013” and the Information Commissioner’s “CCTV Code of Practice, 2008”.

Please note that it is the Practice’s policy to record all telephone calls for the purposes of patient and staff care, security, and dispute resolution. Recordings and their use will be at the Partners’ discretion and will also comply with the Practice’s Data Protection registration.